Previously, my experience with Funko’s figures was limited to my visit to Funko Hollywood and admiring their offerings at conventions. But that all changed with my introduction to POP! Alebrije Dante and POP! Zero in Duck Cart. I was especially excited to review these toys because I love the characters they represent and I thought they paired well with the Fall season. And while both designs held promise, one of the two fell short of my expectations. Read on to learn more about these toys and even see their field trip to the Disneyland Resort!
[Note: While these figures were provided by Funko for me to review. All of the opinions written here are my own.]
POP! Disney: Coco – Alebrije Dante #1086
This glow-in-the-dark figure is sold exclusively at BoxLunch for $11.
Alebrije Dante Visits Disney California Adventure
Halloween Time just started at the Disneyland Resort, and one of Disney California Adventure’s seasonal offerings is the Plaza de la Familia. Since it is inspired by the Mexican Day of the Dead, the displays and activities in the area are themed to Disney and Pixar’s Coco, the film that Dante (and therefore Alebrije Dante) are from.
Aside from the live music, the biggest draw at the Plaza de la Familia is the photo opportunity with a Miguel puppet. Dante was very excited to see his good buddy.
The whole family can also take part in a coloring activity to make their own alebrije masks. Dante, of course, did not need a mask but was more than happy to pose near the display.
Figure Details and Features
As one would expect from any alebrije, POP! Alebrije Dante is full of vibrant colors and a variety of patterns. The figure is a great blend of Funko’s POP! figure style and traditional alebrije design. The pose perfectly captures Dante’s playful puppy personality, with his tongue sticking out. And as is characteristic of Xolo dogs, this figure of Dante is missing many of its teeth.
On the back, his tail almost appears to be wagging (unlike his head, this portion does not actually move, however).
Close up, you get an even greater appreciation for the detailed design and paint job that went into this figure. Not only are each of Dante’s claws painted but so are his paw pads! And I just love the look of his wings, looks just like a real alebrije figure.
The POP! Alebrije Dante has glow-in-the-dark elements. This feature is typically a fun novelty but I found a whole new level of appreciation for it, thanks to this figure. I loved that the glowing paint was in different colors and the parts it accented added to Alebrije Dante’s overall appearance. His eyes and tongue were my favorite parts. The texture of the latter looked great when illuminated in the dark.
Packaging
Let’s move on to the figure’s packaging.
The front of the box has not only a display window but also a decorative border, which ends with a CG rendition of POP! Alebrije Dante in the corner. The border itself has pictures of sugar skulls and guitars hidden inside.
The back of the box highlights the three other characters that are part of Funko’s POP! Coco line: Miguel, Ernesto, and Héctor.
One of the sides has a complete version of the figure’s computerized image with the same background seen on the front. The other side is more open and extends the display window to allow for a side view while the toy is still in the box.
Up on top, it almost appears as though Dante is peeking over the image to have a staring contest with you. (Spoiler alert: He is going to win.)
Rating: 5/5
The Funko POP! Alebrije Dante is one of those figures that is not only endearing in its design but lovingly full of details. I appreciated how well the toy’s markings mirrored what was seen on the character in Coco. The pose also captured Dante’s playful and good-hearted spirit. And while I am often unimpressed by glow-in-the-dark elements in figures, Alebrije Dante’s added to the figure’s charm and didn’t feel like a slapped-on gimmick. I truly have only good things to say about this little guy.
POP! Train – Nightmare Before Christmas: Zero in Duck Cart #10
This is the glow-in-the-dark variant of the POP! Train – Nightmare Before Christmas” Zero in Duck Cart figure, which is sold exclusively at Hot Topic stores for $11.
Zero Visits Disneyland
Over at Disneyland, the Haunted Mansion has been transformed into Haunted Mansion Holiday by Zero’s pal, Jack Skellington. Bringing the ghost dog over to visit the attraction was an absolute must. Just look at how happy he is!
Figure Details and Features
Zero’s expression for this figure is more jovial than what we see in the movie with his eyes closed, mid-bark. This is an interesting choice as the character’s traditional eyes, which are simple, black pupils, which are generally what Funko uses for the eyes on POP! figures. I must confess, this decision was a refreshing change that I rather like.
The Duck that Zero rides on is one of the haunting toys seen in The Nightmare Before Christmas. The one in the movie is a relatively simple design that translated well into figure form.
From the back, you can get a better view of the sculpting on Zero’s ears and “tail.” Both do a good job of conveying the illusion that the character is floating. The ears seem to wave about atop his head. And I love the slight upturn in the back corner of Zero’s body made to represent his tail.
Because this figure belongs to POP! Trains line, it has parts that allow it to connect to other similarly designed figures. The is a link on the front of the chassis along with a hook on the back. To my surprise, the wheels on the cart do not actually rotate so don’t expect to roll your little train across your desk.
Despite actually spending more time in the sun than Dante, Zero’s glow-in-the-dark effect was not as vibrant and ran out of “glow” more quickly. I loved that the Duck Cart’s teeth also glowed. It was a fittingly creepy surprise.
Packaging
Next, let’s take a look at the packaging for the POP! Trains – Zero figure.
The front of the box is rather simple, without other images of the character in the corner or other embellishments. I would suspect this is to allow for a bigger display window since the figure has a wide decorative base.
On the back is a picture of the full set of figures in Funko POP! Trains – Nightmare Before Christmas series. There is a total of six, including Zero.
The display window continues to run for most of the length of both sides of the box. The art, which was missing from the box’s front, is in corners.
The top also has art on it. Zero says “Peek-a-BOO!”
Rating: 3.5/5
Overall, Funko’s POP! Train – Nightmare Before Christmas: Zero in Duck Cart is a cute purchase for fans of The Nightmare Before Christmas, especially if they already own other POP! Train figures to connect it to. The ghost dog’s cheerful smile is endearing and works especially well when combined with the menacing Duck on his cart. However, poor Zero has several flaws that lead me to give him a lower score than Dante.
The biggest problem I had with him is that he was apparently very fragile. Despite my taking what I feel was the utmost care in removing him from his packaging for photos, his little pumpkin nose managed to fall off twice. I am just glad that both times happened at home and not at Disneyland. While this will likely not make a difference to collectors who have no intention of taking the figure of the box, those of us who like to take action shots with toys may be a bit wary of doing so. Because this can greatly affect what you do (or rather do not do) with the figure, one point was deducted from the total score.
The second issue was that were red paint smudges on the base of Zero’s head, near the collar. The flaw is only visible in certain angles. While I know most POP! Train – Zero figures will not have this problem, mine certainly did so it is important to mention. Since paint smudges are typically not a normal occurrence, I only deducted half a point.
Recommended Reading
MiceChat has a (recently updated!) guide to Halloween merchandise available at Disneyland and Walt Disney World:
Loungefly is part of the Funko family of brands and has several new collections available now and in the coming months. There are Alice in Wonderland goodies as well as plenty of winter holiday merchandise. Take a look here:
Loungefly’s Upcoming Disney Collections: Curious & Curiouser
Cakeworthy is releasing a Roger Rabbit Collection of apparel and accessories later this month. You can see what they have planned here:
Toon-Up Your Attire with Cakeworthy’s Roger Rabbit Collection
Disneyland Tickets and Hotel Discounts!
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More details and to get a quote (HERE)
Let’s Hear from You
Do you collect Funko POP! figures? Do you plan to pick up POP! Alebrije Dante or POP! Train – Zero in Duck Cart? Are there other Funko figures you are looking forward to? Let us know in the comments!
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